It's lazy but not necessarily racist. You may be deliberately doing it because you say "oh, I like that imagery, but if I use human beings and that culture, I'm working with dynamite. So I'll just use the pieces I like for a particular alien race, and that way I won't be treading on landmines every time."
And then people go and put landmines there anyway.
That was more or less my thought. About the only good thing about it is that my Saudi Arabian friend that I consult when I have an Arabic question actually thought my pseudo-Bedouins were pretty cool.
I basically ignore most of the issues; I can't get into the dialogue because I hate walking on landmines and won't accept guilt or responsibility for things anyone other than myself does. I'm a straight, married, middle-aged white guy and thus have no dogs in the entire fight, and I don't track what I read based on any metrics, and I don't track what I write based on any metrics. Mainly that's because I'm not writing for some audience out there; I'm writing for ME, and just enjoying the fact that, so far, other people appear to want to read what I do.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2012-04-05 04:52 pm (UTC)It's lazy but not necessarily racist. You may be deliberately doing it because you say "oh, I like that imagery, but if I use human beings and that culture, I'm working with dynamite. So I'll just use the pieces I like for a particular alien race, and that way I won't be treading on landmines every time."
And then people go and put landmines there anyway.
no subject
Date: 2012-04-05 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-05 10:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-05 05:09 pm (UTC)